


the north forest

by parkerprotectionprogram



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: F/M, inspired by a script i found on reddit, medieval (ish) AU, my attempt at horror anyway, this is mildly horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-09-07 04:45:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16847392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkerprotectionprogram/pseuds/parkerprotectionprogram
Summary: a.n: you guys this was inspired by a reading of this script and honestly i thought it was perfect what with it being spoopy season and everything. also,,, this is very historically culturally inaccurate and for that i apologise anyways along with it being spoopy season i also have just over a week until my final exams so wish me luck you guys i’m so close to finishing high school!!!warnings: blood, a terrible attempt at writing suspense and horror also social misconduct between this hoe y/n and tom





	the north forest

**Author's Note:**

> a.n: you guys this was inspired by a reading of this script and honestly i thought it was perfect what with it being spoopy season and everything. also,,, this is very historically culturally inaccurate and for that i apologise anyways along with it being spoopy season i also have just over a week until my final exams so wish me luck you guys i’m so close to finishing high school!!!
> 
> warnings: blood, a terrible attempt at writing suspense and horror also social misconduct between this hoe y/n and tom

The sound of rustling sounds far away, your senses clouded by sleep and your eyes stay shut, paying it no attention in your haste to remain asleep. But then it gets louder, and you murmur incomprehensibly, not understanding why you’re being bothered so early - is it even daybreak yet? Still, your eyelids stay closed, hoping it’ll go away.

You aren’t so fortunate, for an acrid smell reaches your nose, a scent that is bitter and pungent, one that rips away any hope of getting back to sleep because with it comes a chilling presence that causes the hairs on your arm to raise and gooseflesh to appear along your skin. The rustling gets louder and louder until it overpowers everything in the room and you force yourself to remain calm, eyes fixed shut and breathing steady, as it appears to sound from right beside your bed, far too close for your liking.

And then startlingly, a bang, as what you presume is your window is flung open, slamming against the wall before quiet. You wait, heart beating rapidly as foreboding and terror wash over you. Counting silently, you wait a minute, and then another. Five more pass in this manner until you muster up the courage to open your eyes.

Lying facing the window, you see that it had indeed been opened, practically wrenched as it struck the wall. Your eyes adjust to the moonlight that floods in through the open window, the only source of light in the darkened room. Sitting up slowly, you scan the area beside your bed, breathing a sigh of relief to find everything untouched.

You rejoice too soon, for the moment you turn your head to face the wall across your bed, you freeze, blood turning to ice. The terror grips you like a vice and you find it somewhat difficult to breathe.

Distantly, you become aware of high pitched screaming, and you realise soon after that it’s coming from you. You scrabble for the sheets, flinging them off and lurching out of bed. You ignore the icy stone beneath your bare feet, dismiss the cold air that kisses your legs as you hastily make for the door.

It opens before your fingers can even reach for the handle and you bump into something, eliciting another scream from your lips and you thrash around, arms flailing as hands come around you.

“No! Let go of me!  _Let go! Please!_ ” you sob and your assailant grunts.

“Mistress, it’s only me! It’s me, Thomas!” he says loudly, and your widened, panicked eyes meet his, registering properly that it was him.

Slumping against him, you feel your knees just about give out in relief and you clutch his arms tightly. He exhales, looking you over with concerned eyes.

“I heard your scream, you’re shaking like a leaf,” he murmurs sympathetically. Then, “Are you alright? Are you injured?”

You close your eyes for a moment, a small sob escaping your lips as the terror starts to dissipate, and shake your head as you wipe the tears. Faintly, you find bitter amusement in how ‘damsel in distress’ like you must seem. For all that you had preached about not requiring a man to save you, you were fast to run into one’s arms the moment things went south. But this was Thomas, you reasoned, therefore it was alright. You trusted him.

“You’re unharmed,” he reaffirms, relief evident in his voice. “Good. Breathe, my lady. I promise you all will be well.”

You aren’t sure how you’re supposed to believe that, and it must show because he says, soothingly, “Look into my eyes, Mistress. That’s right. Watch the colors in them shift. Good. Breathe in…breathe out.”

You follow his instructions and it’s difficult at first, the panic still imminent in your system, but you pull through, fascinated by the way brown morphs into hazel and then a deep gold.

“Now then, tell me,” he says as he ushers you back to your bed, a comforting smile pulling the corners of his mouth upward. “What has so violently ripped you from your slumber?”

You frown at the memory. “I…I heard rustling and then there was this smell and then something was next to me and my window opened and then I…”

“And then you what?” he asks gently.

“The wall,” you mutter, refusing to look up at it. “Look at the wall.”

“What? Look at the..” he turns his head and you see in the moonlight his skin lose all colour, paling at the sight before him. “Oh my…”

He seemingly has to force himself to wrench his gaze away, fixing it on you somberly.

“My Lady,” he begins gravely, “how did a Druid symbol end up on your wall in the middle of the night? Is that…?”

He turns his head to look back and you hear him inhale sharply. “It’s…it’s painted in blood.”

“Of that,” you say, “I’m well aware.”

“How did someone come and go without any of your chamber guards being alerted? Where is your personal guard, Mistress?”

“I don’t know,” you whisper, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth.

His eyes narrow and you see his cheeks flush indignantly. “I  _assure_  you I will launch a punishing inquiry into their absence. Let me go now and-”

“No!”

He falters and you clutch his arm, feeling your breathing pick up at the thought of being alone.

“Please, I cannot…don’t leave,” you plead softly.

“…Of course,” he breathes out, eyes fixed as deep brown in the moonlight, “If your wish is for me to stay, I shall remain with you.”

You nod silently, eyes shutting for the briefest moment. “Thank you,” you whisper.

The two of you sit in silence, your hand on his arm and his gaze on you.

“My Lady,” he murmurs, prompting you to look up and meet his gaze, “forgive me for intruding, but in light of this most grievous violation, I  _beseech_  you to tell me how you came by your injuries yesterday? You know that I have certain…skills that can afford you additional protection, Mistress.”

You lower your eyes once more, biting your lip. “I…,” you begin, “I was injured during an outing.”

He frowns at the vague answer you give him and you sigh.

“I will lay down my life for you should the need ever arise. I beg that you put your faith in me now to assist you,” he appeals to you, moving to kneel in front of you and his tone willing you to understand, gaze unwavering and sincere. And then quietly, in a pleading tone, “…Please.”

You trust him.  _You trust Thomas_ , you tell yourself. Breathing in shakily, you whisper, screwing your eyes shut, “I was in the North Forest.”

A deafening silence settles over the room, and you open your eyes to see him, stunned, mouth open ever so slightly but no words come out.

When he speaks, his voice is low, distressed. “The North Forest? My Lady why would you ever venture-”

“How could I not?” you exclaim.

He furrows his brows, confused. “I’m not sure what you mean. I haven’t…I can’t-”

“You’re telling me you haven’t heard the whisperings? The guards talk, Thomas, I hear it…alongside everything else, anyway,” you trail off.

He shakes his head, “But Mistress, you shouldn’t be privy to -”

He cuts himself off at the look you give him and sighs, resigned, “Yes, Mistress. I’ve heard it.”

You nod, feeling a little better in knowing you are not alone. You watch him gaze over your shoulder at the window, a faraway look in his eyes.

“Thomas?” you prompt.

“It’s a ceaseless drumming that…it seems to come from within the earth itself,” he explains in a soft voice, shuddering, “it  _pulses_  in my veins and it feels like darkness beckoning. Making false promises of endless warmth where there is no light. Making the sin in bending to its temptation feel like purity. I know it, My Lady.”

You feel shivers run down your spine at the distracted tone he takes on, and then more quietly, he asks you, eyes refocusing, “Did you follow it, Mistress? Into the North Forest?”

You swallow and it seems loud in the large room, still encompassed by darkness. “Yes,” you whisper.

He shifts, leaning forward with widened eyes. “…Alone?”

You sigh, hearing the uneasiness in his voice. “I didn’t think,” you mutter.

“But you’ve heard the tales,” he says, visibly more distressed, “You  _know_  the danger. To venture there at all has driven powerful men mad. And that’s only those who return. How did you-”

He stops, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t be speaking to you so forthright, Madam. Please accept my apologies. My concern for your well-being is clouding my judgement.”

“You don’t… you don’t have to apologise,” you say, and then, frowning, “I didn’t know who I could trust, to confide in.”

“You may certainly trust me, My Lady. In all things,” he says with such conviction, eyes alight and yet he manages to remain calm, a soothing presence. His words settle the uncertainties that plague you and you nod, thankful.

“That pleases me a great deal, Thomas, you have no idea,” you murmur.

“What did you see in the North Forest, Mistress? And what did you awaken that has now followed you here?”

You exhale, a frown marring your face as you shake your head. “I confess I haven’t any idea in the slightest. I really am grateful you are here now, I…I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”

“Thank you, Mistress,” he says, ducking his head momentarily, “It greatly pleases me that my presence makes you feel secure, but…”

He trails off, scanning your face and then quietly, reassuring, “My Lady, if you do not wish to speak of it further this night I will not push. Let me take my leave and see to it that your wall gets cleaned of this…evil.”

He rises up and in a rush of panic that once more overtakes you at the prospect of being left alone, your hand flies out and grips his wrist in a move that could land the two of you in quite serious trouble, him more so than you.

“I…I apologise for being so forward,” you begin and he shakes his head as though to assure you that no, you were not

“Please, don’t leave. Will you…,” you trail off, cheeks warming as you murmur as quietly as you can, “will you stay? If only until I return to sleep but, please, just lay here with me?”

As soon as the words leave your mouth you feel warm all over, embarrassed and uncomfortable as the doubt begins to settle in.  _How could you ask that of him? It isn’t proper at all, you could have him fired!_

“You don’t wish to be alone? Lay with you? But I…”

“I shouldn’t have asked that of you, please forgive me,” you apologise, rising from the bed to stand in front of him, “You could get in trouble and it was selfish of me to not have considered that.”

He breathes out and you become hyper aware of your close proximity. Neither one of you make to move away and he tilts his head ever so slightly down in a bow before meeting your eyes once more.

“You,” he said in a hushed voice, eyes an intense onyx now. “You alone command me.”

He raised a hand as if to reach for you and then stilled, wiping the front of his trousers. “If it is your desire,” he expressed, full of quiet reverence, “that I remain in your chambers this night, I will do so. But on the morrow I intend to go hunting…in the North Forest.”

He ushers you back into your bed, closing the curtains before moving and lying beside you. You shuffle around, adjusting your nightgown as you face him.

“Thomas?” you whisper into the darkness.

“Yes, my Lady.”

“Your eyes…how did they..”

“My eyes?” he sounds slightly amused but he takes on a reassuring tone. “A trick of the candlelight. Nothing more. Sleep now, Mistress. You are safe, I give you my word.”

You know it is more than a mere trick. But you trust him. For now, you think, you will allow him to keep his secret unless he gives you reason to suspect it will cause harm. You reach out tentatively then and rest your hand on his arm, settling your head on the pillow. He tenses and then relaxes but not before you hear him inhale sharply at the contact. A few moments pass and then you feel his hand rest atop yours, a warm and comforting feeling.

You take comfort in this moment, knowing that the coming day will not be as serene or peaceful and the consequences of your actions, of what you had awoken, would not be light. But for now, you shift and move closer to the warmth he emanates, falling asleep feeling protected.

 

 


End file.
